Wednesday, July 2, 2008
The Environmental Protection Agency recently passed a new, more stringent standard for smog emissions. Now, Douglas County must make sure it can meet those standards.
According to an EPA press release, communities must lower their ground-level ozone, or smog emissions, to 75 parts per billion, compared with the old standard of 84, by March 2010.
Richard Ziesenis, director of environmental health for the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department, said there were many things people in the county could do as individuals to reduce the ozone’s emissions. He suggested limiting vehicle use by walking, riding a bike or taking public transit.
Ground-level ozone forms when nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds are exposed to sunlight. Power plants, motor vehicles, airplanes, and household products such as paints and cleaning supplies, make up most of the human-made emissions, according to the EPA.
Mike Russell, director of Environment Health and Safety at the University, said a lot of the ozone emissions in Lawrence came from the traffic.
“We need to make significant cutbacks in the number of both commercial and individual vehicles that travel on the road on a daily basis,” Russell said.
Rick Brunetti, director of the bureau of air and radiation at KDHE, said it was mainly the Kansas City Metro area that was contributing to the ozone emissions. He said the city may need to take serious measures in order to meet the EPA’s new standards. Brunetti said the KDHE was still looking into whether Douglas County was contributing enough emissions to be considered a part of the Metro area and in need of regulation.
Brunetti said if Kansas City didn’t meet the new standards by the 2010 deadline, it could mean bad news for businesses. He said that if a company was located in a community that couldn’t meet the EPA’s standards, it might suffer because it could no longer expand its business.
“The community would also be required to get technology to help regulate the ozone emissions,” Brunetti said. “It can get very expensive.”
Brunetti said he didn’t think it would come to that for Kansas City, though. He said Kansas communities were starting to realize they needed to cut down on emissions, not just for the environment but for their health as well.
Joe Blubaugh, director of communications at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, said people were starting to learn more about what they could do and even businesses were catching on.
“Some agencies offer a free gas cap test, which means they’ll test to see if your gas cap fits correctly,” Blubaugh said. “If it doesn’t fit correctly, your vehicle can leak CO2 into the air.”
Cathy Milbourn, senior press officer for the EPA, said the EPA changed its standards because scientific studies showed the ozone affected those with asthma and could cause harm to people who spent a lot of time outdoors. In the EPA’s press release, it estimated the new standard would save between $2 billion and $19 billion in health benefits, including preventing bronchitis, asthma, hospital visits, nonfatal heart attacks and premature death.
Brunetti said that cutting down on ozone emissions would mean clear, cleaner air, which could help improve health conditions.
“We think of the environment and health as two separate things, but they are related,” he said. “So much of our health is determined by how well we take care of our environment.”
— Edited by Jesse Temple
Fired up about coal
Lawrence’s coal-fired plant contributes to high asthma rates, river pollution.
Editorial: Governor needs to raise auto emissions ...
Kansas needs to be at the forefront of environmental legislation.
Westar pays for environmental violation
The Topeka-based power company agreed to pay $500 million for violating the ...
Gas station brings energy efficient ideas to ...
Zarco 66 offers 10 renewable fuel blends and provides ‘green’ atmosphere.
Kansas faces shortage of dentists
Counties do not have enough dentists who accept Medicaid or cater to ...
Discussing the future of energy
Brownback and 13 experts of energy and regulation debate energy business and ...
Student recognized for green chemistry
Madhav Ghant won an award for his research of environmentally friendly ways ...
Dirty mouth: Water may not be clean
Traces of prescription medicines and over-the-counter drugs can be found in water ...
Westar complies with Clean Air Act standards
The company's Lawrence Energy Center has started installing new pollution control technologies.
Baby Steps
How five days without a car helped Jayplay writer Courtney Hagen realize ...
University begins to prepare for H1N1
The University is sending words of flu warning to incoming freshmen.
Robinson Gymnasium could become temporary home to ...
Lawrence receives healthy community award
Wellness programs make the city one of the healthiest in Kansas.
University applies for energy program funding
Center for Sustainability helped develop a program that would reduce emissions and ...
University will pay more than $80,000 for ...
The University will also have to evaluate 301 laboratories as stipulation of ...
STI cases in Kansas reach more than ...
The majority of the infections have been reported in 20- to 24-year-olds.
Faculty members get environmental task force positions
Faculty members Simran Sethi and Jeff Severin were chosen by Climate Protection ...
University scientists discuss apocalypse
Bruce Lieberman, curator of invertebrate paleontology at the Natural History Museum, and ...
City Commission approves greener buses
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act gives Lawrence $2.9 million, which will be ...
Psychology professor explains and combats depression
Stephen Ilardi, associate professor of psychology, discussed modern physical conditions and mentioned ...
King and queen to be crowned in ...
Anyone is eligible for the crown in the “‘Stache and Lash Drag ...
New group creates volunteer opportunities
KU Advocacy Corps seeks to generate connections University and community-based service organizations
Researchers, students to develop cleaner fuel
In the future, campus buses could be powered by leftovers from the ...
Lowell: Two steps forward, one step back
Allowing off-shore drilling is a political compromise, but keep big picture in ...
County employees get added benefits for certain ...
The City Commission approved the benefits 2-1.
Emergency response preparedness is key
Emergency management coordinators discussed emergency situation management Wednesday in the final meeting ...
Proposed budget cuts could harm School of ...
Gov. Brownback proposed a $15 million budget cut in mental health care ...
Department receives $5 million grant
Geology at the University given money to research storing CO2 underground.
EPA administrator speaks about Hurricane Katrina, pollution ...
Lisa Jackson, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, shared with students various ...
Power plant proposals under scrutiny
University students are worried about the environmental impact two proposed coal-fired power ...
Two Lawrence bridges called ‘deficient’
The Kansas Department of Transportation has rated two Lawrence bridges “structurally deficient,” ...
Osher Institute expands classes to Hutchinson
The KU Osher Lifelong Learning Institute will begin offering noncredit courses at ...
Commission denies Inn construction
The Historic Resources Commission unanimously denied an application from developers Paul Warner ...
A guide to the proposed health care ...
A look at the health care bills that are being passed around ...
The real cost of bottled water
An analysis of the economic and environmental costs of bottled water.
Brown: Smoking ban should pass
Secondhand smoke is especially bad for those with asthma.
Former student has not paid restitution
Cem Basoflas, former student from Istanbul Turkey, still owes thousands for animal ...
From left: Kimberlee Hinkle, Libby Johnson and Hannah ...
1 comment
Kansas Jayhawk fans hold aloft a reproduction of ...
2 comments
Erin Saupe, a Ph.D. student from St. Cloud, ...
1 comment
0 comments
Armed robbers continue to threaten.
3 comments
Lecture from Greg Mortenson, co-author of New York ...
0 comments
Comments
New ozone emissions standards to affect Douglas County
Douglas County's ozone was barely at .75 the last time they measured it, in 2006. KC metro isn't contributing to Douglas, but the EPA and KDHE have to determine whether Douglas is emitting enough pollution to be considered a part of the KC Metro. If Douglas is, then Douglas along with the KC Metro area will need to lower its emissions. In the meantime, Douglas is just going to encourage people to use alternative methods like biking, riding the bus, carpooling, etc. They are more worried about people being aware of ozone emissions and educating people on the things they can do to help lower the emissions. I hope this helps.
New ozone emissions standards to affect Douglas County
So what is Douglas County's current ozone level?
How is KC metro contributing to Douglas County's ozone?
And what actions is the city/county going to take to remedy the problem (besides that stupid gas cap thing, which is rather irrelevant seeing how CO2 isn't a volatile organic compound by the EPA's definition)?
New ozone emissions standards to affect Douglas County
Thanks, mery_vamp--wish that would have been in the story.
But then that means that this headline is incorrect because if Douglas County isn't considered part of the KC Metro, the ozone standards might not affect us.
Sign in to comment
Or login with:
OpenID